


the price of freedom

by lightyaers



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Death, Din Djarin Needs a Hug, Emotional, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Female Reader, Fluff, In Character, Multi, Post-Season 2, Reader-Insert, Sexual Tension, She/Her Reader - Freeform, Slow Burn, Star Wars - Freeform, Swearing, The Mandalorian (TV) References, eventual face reveal, jedi!reader, reader is a badass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29801940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightyaers/pseuds/lightyaers
Summary: “You’re a Mandalorian,” You stated, unknowing of what else to say. As soon as the words left your mouth, you felt idiotic. Of course, he was a Mandalorian. That much was obvious. He stood upright, taking a small step forward. Your hand instinctively met with your saber hilt.“And you’re always ready for a fight, it seems,” The words trickled from no mouth. His face was completely covered, and it only made your anxiety bubble more ferociously. The absence of a face left intentions unclear. “With a lightsaber, too. I’ve never seen a purple one before,” He continued.“You’re following me,” You let out strongly, now understanding why he was here. “Don’t waste my time, Mandalorian. Show me your bounty tracker so we can get this over with,”Afraid of your responsibilities, you flee the Jedi, intent on making a peaceful life for yourself. That is, until Skywalker needs you back-- he sends the only man that he knows can get the job done.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Reader, Din Djarin/You, Luke Skywalker & Reader
Comments: 8
Kudos: 44





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Here's another incoming fic purely for my indulgence and so I can stop thinking about The Mandalorian all the fucking time. 
> 
> This fic is basically just a road trip plot with Din Djarin and Reader. It's a mixture of funny and deeply angst because that's just how I roll. This is also being posted on Wattpad! Same username and that, so check it out and maybe give me a follow on there if you ever wanna have a chat! God bless the messaging feature. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this. I'll update frequently hopefully! Don't hesitate to tell me what you think :)
> 
> lightyaers x

You knew the price of freedom would cost you a lot, but you hadn’t realised just how much _work_ it was going to be. For two years you’d effectively been off the grid, keeping your identity and your skills a secret, until that first bounty hunter had finally sniffed you out.

You’d made short work of him, slicing your saber through his wrist and leaving him with his screams, deep in the dunes of Tatooine. You tried not to dwell on the fact you’d revealed your weapon; a staple of the Jedi. You’d simply gone back to the small home you’d made for yourself for the past two years, packing up your belongings and hitching a ride on the next ship off the planet.

Where you were headed to, you had no idea.

But where you ended up—

It had made things _complicated._

You’d planet jumped for the better part of four months, leaving every time you saw the red blinking light of a bounty tracker on your trail. Word had got out, obviously, and it wasn’t long before people realised they could _profit_ off of you.

You didn’t want to believe that Luke would do this; set you up for capture, send hunters after you until he’d eventually dragged you back to training, or stripped you of the honour you’d already built up before choosing to leave.

The truth was—

You were a runaway. A deserter. Too much of an innate mess to ever be able to become the Jedi you’d been training to be. Maybe it was selfish, foolish, cowardly, but the pressure had built until your mind had snapped.

That’s when you’d fled, intent on finding a small life to relish in on your own, in peace. Somewhere without the drilled nonsense of no material or human attachments, somewhere where you didn’t have to fulfil the destiny that had been placed upon you, ever since the Force had infiltrated your mind and given you so much power.

And you’d managed to stay undiscovered, uncaptured, fighting your way out of every stick-up and bounty hunters’ grasp—

Until _he’d_ showed up.

Deep in Wild Space, you’d settled on a planet called Bakura. It was dangerous, sleezy, but a good place to lay low. The good thing about planets that had bad reputations was that outsiders rarely crossed the natives. If a bounty hunter showed up, they usually always got too afraid to follow through with their orders.

You walked everywhere like you were meant to be there, like you weren’t a person that others should cross. You had an identity to your step, a scowl on your jaw, and your weapon by your side at all times. It was just enough to make you untouchable, to make others avoid your gaze, when you walked into the bar that you’d ended up frequenting for the past week.

You strolled to the bar top, perching on a stool and placing your weapon in front of you. It was common language; weapons on the table meant you weren’t looking for a fight. The bartender was a gruff man. Scars littered his face, slicing through one of his eyebrows and winding its way up to his scalp. Large chains hung from around his neck. He approached you like he usually did, always glancing at your saber hilt before meeting your eye without hesitation.

“Have any hunters been spotted?” You asked bluntly. Being polite got you nowhere on Bakura.

“Not since you asked yesterday,” He replied, revealing a coarse voice, as if someone had tampered with his throat in the past. “You on the run?” He added.

“Why do you wanna know?” You hit back with, not faltering with your words.

“I know a runner when I see one,” He stated, picking up a large tankard and wiping it down with a muddied cloth. You sighed gruffly, moving your gaze to your saber in warning, then back onto his eyes. “You’ve come in here for the past five days,” He began, shooting his gaze around the bar as a small smile curled onto his lips. “Me and my _friends_ , we just wanna know what brings you here,”

The hairs on your neck stood up immediately, as you felt the atmosphere in the room change. You saw the colour red glowing brighter and more ferocious with every second that passed. You knew if you were to turn around, you’d be surrounded by a dozen men, maybe even more.

You forced yourself to let out an unbothered chuckle, gluing your eyes onto the bartender. You slowly wound your fingers around the hilt of your lightsaber, knowing that the only way out of here, and off this godforsaken planet, would require a _fight._

A fight that, you knew, would take them all by surprise.

“Do you really wanna do this?” You asked threateningly. The bartender smiled back at you, lowering himself to your level, until all you could smell was the stench of his breath.

“You’re a feisty one, girl. You should’ve never left Daddy’s side—,”

In one swoop, you’d engaged your saber, swiping it beneath his chin at light speed. The clang of chains hitting the floor flooded the bar. You stepped back, admiring the sheer confusion and sudden fear in the eyes of the bartender, as his chains lay on the floor beneath him, still smoking from the heat of your blade.

You turned around to the rest of the room, taking in the snarling shocked faces of his _friends._ You twirled your saber skilfully, dropping into a stance that had become second nature since you’d first picked up the weapon.

“Before we begin, does anyone want to surrender?” You let out, as the adrenaline of the fight began to wind its way through your entire body.

A seconds pause—

And then the bar erupted.

In flashes of purple, men dropped to the floor, clutching their wrists, their ankles, or the other limbs you’d sliced off without so much as a care. The subtle _swoosh_ of your saber was all you heard, focusing on the movements you knew like the back of your hand, sensing where men were diving and getting ready to strike you in the back.

One man bombarded himself into you suddenly, pushing you backwards until your back bent across the bar. He got on top of you as you flailed like an overturned turtle. A swift knee to his crotch allowed you some valuable seconds of screaming pain—you forced him upwards and off you with your knees, holding him by the collar before he could drop to the floor.

You blew hair out of your eyes, giving him a warning look. “Jump on a woman like that again, and it won’t be a knee that goes through your groin, I assure you,” You twirled your lightsaber to fully get your message across, before letting him crumple to the ground in pain.

You surveyed your surroundings, noting the now minuscule number of men left standing.

You disengaged your saber, letting the dust in the bar settle, before you put on a small smile for show. “If there’s nothing more to discuss here, then I’ll be going,” You said strongly. “But I don’t mind sticking around if _some_ of you haven’t understood the message yet,”

As predicted, the remaining men all retreated without any hesitation. You stepped forward slowly, parting a sea of collapsed bodies still writhing in pain, and the final men standing. When you reached the door, you looked back, sending the bartender a wink. “Thanks so much for having me, such great service, I’ll definitely recommend this place to my loved ones,”

You slotted your saber hilt onto a belt around your waist and left the establishment, strolling down the Bakura streets as darkness began to descend on the planet. You wandered for a little while, adopting the same do-not-cross identity that you usually did, while you took in the quietness of the planet after dark.

The stars were bright, and you could see Bakura’s moon at full beam. It looked down at you, almost asking you if what you’d done back there had been morally right. As a Jedi you were trained to never kill, and it’s not like you’d just murdered that room of men. It was self-defence, it was for a good reason that you’d sliced through their flesh.

But—maybe you’d _wanted_ to. Some part of you, deep deep down, had perhaps felt some of them deserved it. That was a part of you that you were terrified of; you were terrified that one day you’d actually do it; that you’d actually kill someone without a second glance.

You were brought back to reality when you heard it—

Clapping. Slow and loud, coming from your right. You whipped your stare to the source of the applause, and what met you was something, _someone,_ you’d never expected to see in your life.

The Mandalorian leant against a wall, clapping without a care. You eyed him up, noting the polish of his armour, the moons reflection in his helmet, and how odd it was that he was _clapping._

He stopped abruptly, but you didn’t take your eyes off of him.

“One versus, what, fourteen?” He spoke. It was a coarse, raw voice. Monotonous in delivery. Your interest piqued immediately. What the fuck was a Mandalorian doing on Bakura? And why was he _clapping_ for you?

“You’re a Mandalorian,” You stated, unknowing of what else to say. As soon as the words left your mouth, you felt idiotic. _Of course_ , he was a Mandalorian. That much was obvious. He stood upright, taking a small step forward. Your hand instinctively met with your saber hilt.

“And you’re always ready for a fight, it seems,” The words trickled from no mouth. His face was completely covered, and it only made your anxiety bubble more ferociously. The absence of a face left intentions unclear. “With a lightsaber, too. I’ve never seen a purple one before,” He continued.

“You’re following me,” You let out strongly, now understanding why he was here. “Don’t waste my time, Mandalorian. Show me your bounty tracker so we can get this over with,” 

To your surprise, a small chuckle hit your ears. He stepped forward a few more times, but you knew that now was a good time to hold your ground.

“You’ve got spunk. You know how these things work,”

“Who sent you?” You let out. You were stalling, figuring out a plan of attack inside your head in the meantime. “Another hunter? The Empire?”

“A friend,” He replied. You went rigid. “Luke Skywalker sent me,”

It took your body a few seconds to fully react, and when you did—all you could do was _laugh._ A real gut-wrenching laugh that travelled throughout your entire body, one that made tears appear in your eyes and your arms instinctively wrap around your torso.

You felt the Mandalorian wrap his hand around your forearm suddenly, as he began to drag you back to his ship, probably. You managed to compose yourself enough to fight back slightly, stopping him from dragging you any further.

“I usually hate hunters, but a Mandalorian? I guess I’m more important than I first thought,” You chuckled out, before striking a quick jab into the Mandalorian’s ribs. He dropped your arm, jumping back slightly.

“Skywalker said you were stubborn,” He let out, and you could practically imagine the scowl on his face beneath the helmet.

“Luke was never good with words. I prefer the word _driven_ ,”

“How about the word _dangerous_ ,” He hit back with.

“Maybe you should say that about yourself for a change,” You replied, as your voice mixed with something more venomous. “Why the fuck would Luke send the enemy to get me?” You stared him down, becoming less friendly with every pump of your heart.

“Something about the Force,” He said. “I—don’t really understand it,”

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” You scowled.

“The Mandalorian’s and the Jedi haven’t exactly seen eye to eye in the past,” He bowed his head slightly in understanding.

“I’m not a Jedi,”

“You look like one to me,” He replied. “Why’d you leave?”

“You’re _definitely_ not what I expected if you thought we would simply have a conversation about this, before I _oh so willingly_ went back to Skywalker with you,” You chuckled out, taking a few steps back slowly.

“That wasn’t my plan,” He admitted, and you furrowed your brows immediately. Without any warning, he revealed a long staff, whipping it through the air until it made contact with your _face._

You stumbled back, trying to grip your saber, but he’d caught you completely off guard—

He struck you again, _hard_ , and all you saw was black.

The Mandalorian approached you, crumpled upon the floor and knocked out completely. He squatted to the ground, slotting his arms beneath you as you lay unconscious.

“Sorry,” He said with a sigh, before lifting you from the ground.

He carried you all the way back to his ship, deep in the rock formations of Bakura—

Back towards Luke Skywalker.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting the second chapter purely to get the story going a bit faster and to not leave you all completely in the dark with chapter one. Thanks for reading!
> 
> lightyaers x

You awoke in a moving ship, down in the bay below the cockpit. You immediately brought a hand to your face, feeling the rough soreness of where the Mandalorian had struck you earlier. Your jaw popped back into place when you opened your mouth, trying to stretch your limbs after being unconscious for however long.

You tried to stand, only being shoved back down to seated when you realised what he’d done with one of your wrists; he’d handcuffed you to the railing above your head. Stuck in place, your arm was on the brink of going completely numb.

You went to your belt, intent on finding your saber, but it wasn’t there. _Of course,_ he’d taken it away. You felt the rage boiling within you, finally mustering up the strength to _yell._

“ _Mando!”_ You yelled, as you started flailing in the cuffs. “You _fucker—_ Mando! You _asshole!”_

The ship shuddered, as you felt the landing gear engaging. The ship jolted when it hit the ground, the grinding sound of metal made your ears ring painfully. Mando appeared from the cockpit, jumping the last two rungs of the ladder and staring at you with no emotion—

Or maybe, he _did_ have emotion. But no way in hell could you tell from the way his helmet stared at you monotonously.

“Are you done whining?” He asked, and you spat on the floor suddenly.

“What the _fuck_ do you gain from this? Luke’s not paying you, is he?” You asked, and the silence that cut between the ship was enough to make you smile sourly. “Oh my god, he’s _not_ paying you at all—,”

“It’s none of your business what the deal was—,”

“Except _it is,_ because I’m the one shackled to a fucking railing without my weapon, and _you’re_ the one going to all of this trouble without getting any Beskar in return,” You slumped back, feeling incredibly pleased with yourself. An unpaid bounty was a sure-fire way to secure your freedom again. What did he have to gain? Why was he doing this free of charge?

Mando stepped forward, sitting on a box opposite you, just out of reach. He sighed beneath his mask, and for a split second you _felt_ him—

His emotions, his feeling. Your Force had wrapped itself around him for just a second, before it retracted itself.

“Where are we?” You stuttered out, composing yourself quickly.

“A trading post on Tatooine,” He replied, and your face softened immediately. You started struggling in the cuffs even more. This was where you’d made your home for two whole years, alone, in the dunes, navigating the Tuscan raiders land and generally having peace for a while. You wanted that _back._

“Let me out,” You demanded. When Mando didn’t reply, you stood abruptly, grabbing the cuffs with your free hand and trying desperately the claw your way out. “ _Mando—_ let me _out—,”_

He finally looked up, seeing you struggle and plead. You didn’t want to think about how foolish you must look, grabbing at whatever you could to pry open the cuffs, when even you knew it was useless.

You stopped, giving up, but allowed yourself to _feel_ him again.

He had a heart, that much was for certain. Maybe you could play to his emotions, his empathy, and he’d let you go. And, at the end of the day, maybe you’d learn why the hell he took on this job without the object of payment at the end of the line.

You swallowed painfully. “Don’t make me go back,” You let out quietly. “Take me anywhere but back there and it would be ten times better. Just—,” You turned to him still standing. “ _Please,_ ”

He looked up at you in silence. You descended back onto the bench, leaning your head back against the ship interior.

“Is it... bad there? At the temple?” Mando asked. You flicked your eyes over his helmet, not used to having zero eye contact.

“It’s just not for me,” You let out honestly.

“Luke seems to think you’re in incredible danger out here,” Mando continued. You immediately got angry.

“ _Luke_ doesn’t know a thing about me,” You scowled. “I wasn’t born into Jedi blood, I wasn’t already gifted with the Force as a child—it _found me.”_

“You’re a foundling?” Mando asked abruptly.

“If by foundling you mean not a real Jedi, then _yeah_ , sure,” You trailed off.

“But—you have a saber, you know the Force—,”

“I _found_ that saber, on Coruscant, way before I was sent to the temple,” Mando leaned back, crossing his arms.

“I’ll tell you the reasons for my deal,” He began. “If you tell me about _you_ ,”

You regarded him for a moment. He obviously had his own reasons for going out of his way to do this for Luke, and his interest had definitely piqued. He wanted information, or wanted _in_ on what the Jedi did at the temple. It could have been a trap—he was a _Mandalorian_ , it wasn’t out of the question.

But his feeling, it didn’t make you feel anxious. It made you feel warm, like he actually had a valid reason, like he was trying to _protect_ something.

You leant forward, draping your free arm over your knees.

“Can you at least uncuff me?” You asked, genuinely trying to convey how you weren’t going to flee. “You have my saber, I’m not going anywhere without it,” You added, shooting him a small smile. He got up without a word and uncuffed you, going back to sit on the box he was on before.

You rubbed at your wrist, trying to get some feeling back into your fingers, before you let out a sigh.

“Just a warning—it’s sort of a long story,”

“We’ve got time,” Mando replied immediately.

You told him _everything_ —

When you were eleven, you’d been travelling with your family to Coruscant for business. The planet wasn’t the same as it used to be, grand and gold, the hub of the Jedi council and the Senate. Despite the days of Darth Vader’s rule being well and truly over, the remains of his reign were noticeable everywhere.

Your parents were merchants and, back then, you hadn’t known they were one dodgy deal away from being taken in, or even killed. You spent most of that time on Coruscant exploring on your own, despite the bad feeling you got from the planet in general.

The last day of their deal, you _found_ something—tucked behind a flap of metal on the side of the council building and wrapped in layers of fabric—

A lightsaber.

You left Coruscant with a new gadget, not knowing exactly the power you possessed with it in your hands. Your parents knew, obviously, that you’d found it. They were good people, despite their bad decisions. They simply wanted to give you a life that you deserved, even if that meant putting themselves in danger.

Your father and you trained as you got older, just for fun. He would wield his staff and you would wield your found saber, battling against one another while laughter drowned out the darkness of another trade deal or brush with death and the colour purple exploded through the room.

When you were fifteen, your parents started speaking in whispers more. Hushed and never including you, you knew that something bad could happen at any moment—you somewhat _felt it._

What you’d felt had come true, when only a few months beyond that moment, your parents had run out of time. Another gang was in pursuit of them, and this time they weren’t going to let up. Your parents stuffed you in the escape pod, inputting the coordinates to someplace you didn’t know, before watching you fly out into the vacuum of space—

Alone. Unaware of where you were going, or what you’d _become._

They’d sent you to the temple; to Skywalker.

And the rest was history.

“So, what... the lightsaber found _you?_ ” Mando interjected after some time.

“That’s what Luke said,” You replied, letting out a disgusted chuckle afterwards. “He says that some people are simply chosen. The Force may run in bloodlines, but that doesn’t mean people can’t wield it without past Jedi blood,”

Mando nodded in understanding, but you could sense he had more questions.

“Ask your questions, already, Mando,” You let out. He shuffled uncomfortably, surprised that you knew he wanted to know more. You sent him an amused smile. “The Force,” You explained, and he seemed to ease up slightly.

“Do you always read minds?” He sighed.

“It’s not the minds we read, it’s the _feeling._ Sometimes I feel it strongly for people, sometimes I don’t,”

“And—for me?” He questioned.

“A mid-ground,” You admitted. “You’re very good at keeping your defensives up,”

“I’m a bounty hunter. What did you expect?” He hit back with. You couldn’t help but smile slightly. This guy was growing on you. Maybe he wasn’t _all bad._ “Why did you leave the temple, if it was the safest place for you to go?” He finally asked. You looked down for a moment, swallowing uncomfortably. You’d made a deal—you had to tell him.

“For six years, Luke trained me. What he saw in me, I have no idea. I was new to the Force, to the ways of the Jedi. Over the years, I guess—,” You stopped, letting out a shaky breath. “I was deathly afraid of _letting him down,_ of letting the legacy down. The best option was to leave before I could fuck anything up. I’ve been gone two and a half years,”

You slumped slightly, feeling the pain of reliving your past wholeheartedly. You never thought about it anymore; you only focused on moving forward. Finding a new place to settle, avoiding the gaze of hunters who spotted your weapon, trying to live out your life in a way that was away from disappointment.

“Are you—,” Mando stopped to clear his throat. “Hungry. Are you hungry?” He repeated.

You smiled at him, amused. You nodded once. “I wouldn’t mind some water at least,” Mando got up immediately, heading to the hatch of his ship.

He turned back before he pressed the button. You raised a hand at him, stopping him from even asking—

“I’m not going anywhere. Lightsaber, remember?”

Mando nodded and opened the hatch, walking into the sandy wind of Tatooine.

He returned with food and water, kicking over another box to place it on between the two of you. You dug in before the hatch of his ship had even closed. He simply sat back trying not to act like he was simple watching you eat.

You regarded him, shoving another bite of bread in your mouth. “You don’t eat?” You chided.

“I swore to never take my helmet off in front of another living thing,” He said it like he’d said it a thousand times before, which he probably _had._ You wanted to bet you weren’t the first to ask him why his helmet stayed on all the time.

“I can... look away,” You offered, trying not to cross a line. Mando simply raised his hand in dismissal; or maybe in subtle thanks. You looked down, focusing on the food again, soaking up the almost awkward silence and trying to find something to say to break the tension.

Mando cleared his throat. “I have a friend, at the temple,” He stated. You furrowed your brows.

“A friend?”

“I was tasked with killing him a while ago, but... that didn’t exactly happen,” Mando sighed, as if remembering this time was painful to him.

“So, you took him to the temple?” You asked.

“Luke found him. I succeeded. I went to visit him a month ago,” Mando continued. “Luke told me about you, said you’d left a few years back, but he sensed a disturbance—he sensed you weren’t safe,”

It all clicked now. It’s no wonder Luke told him about this, if he truly wanted you back. What would be better than a cut-throat bounty hunter who’d succeeded getting a Jedi back once before already?

“That doesn’t explain why you’re doing this for nothing,” You pestered. Mando leant forward, deep in thought.

“That friend means everything to me,” He began, and you _felt_ how much this meant to him. It almost made you want to cry. “Luke took him in, and he’s safe now. If I could get another young Jedi back unharmed, then I wasn’t going to say no, even if I wasn’t getting paid,”

You regraded him, soaking up the pure feeling that Mando had about this. You wanted to know everything, but you knew now wasn’t the right time. You barely knew this guy, and he was already having doubts about whether to actually take you back or not. Your curiosity would have to wait.

But, you did allow yourself one small ask.

“What’s their name? Your friend,” You asked quietly.

“His name is Grogu,” Mando replied.

“Grogu,” You replied, sending him a smile and a nod. “Thank you for getting him somewhere safe,” You added. Mando nodded back at you.

You let out a huff, picking up a bread roll and standing. “I’m going to the cockpit, so you can eat,” You stated, placing a hand on the ladder to the upper level of the ship. Mando stood abruptly, almost as if he was on edge.

You looked to him. “Eat. Drink. It’s fine,” You reassured him, and he eventually sat back down, while you made your way up the ladder.

You sat in the cockpit, overseeing the view of the trading post from the windshield. You thought back over the conversation you and the Mandalorian had just had, but there was still that doubt coursing within you—

He was still going to take you back. You knew that deep within you. And you _couldn’t,_ wouldn’t, go back to the temple, just to end up disappointing Luke in the future. That would break you more than losing your parents ever had; that would break you and ensure you never fixed the damage for the rest of your life.

You were desperate, trapped between wanting to do the right thing for this Mandalorian, and getting yourself far, far away from him. You swivelled in the pilot chair, overseeing the ship controls in a rush. You’d made up your mind—

You were getting off this planet one way or another, and you would get away from Mando as well. You had to.

You clicked a button that controlled the cockpit doors, sealing them shut tight.

“Girl?” Mando called from down below. His voice didn’t sound modulated like it usually did.

Without hesitation, you started the engines and engaged the landing gear, lifting the ship off the ground and flying forward as fast as you possibly could. The ship jolted and swayed, on the brink of losing control with your shoddy experience at actually piloting ships, but there was no alternative.

“I’m sorry,” You whispered to Mando, pushing the ignition to full pelt, and blasting the two of you out of Tatooine’s atmosphere.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've discovered that I love flirty banter, but flirty FIGHTING? Now that's golden. 
> 
> lightyaers x

The ship started spluttering when you entered space, but you didn’t let that stop you. You had no idea where you were going, you just knew you had to _move._

“Girl!” Mando shouted once more from below, but all you could do was ignore him. He started banging on the cockpit doors soon after, making the experience of actually piloting even more daunting.

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

“Open the _fucking_ doors!”

“Not if you’re going to take me back!” You screamed in return.

You continued zooming through space, but it still wasn’t fast enough. You knew you had to go light speed, but you’d never _done_ it before, let alone in a ship that you barely knew how to pilot in the first place.

“Let’s just _talk_ about this—,” He continued, muffled on the other side of the doors.

“I’ve done all my talking. I _won’t_ go back,” You replied frantically. “I’d rather die than go back there, Mandalorian,”

Mando went silent for a few seconds, just as you hovered your hand over the console, ready to go light speed.

“Don’t go light speed!” He yelled. “Don’t—it’ll spit us out randomly— _don’t!”_

You clamped your eyes shut and breathed deeply, mustering up every piece of courage that you had inside. _Random_ sounded better than the temple. It was the best shot you had of getting further away from the destination you dreaded to wind up in.

You hit the console, and Mando’s yells and bangs on the door immediately disappeared as a wave of blue light was all you saw—

The ship blasted through space, unknowing of where the hell it was about the end up. You were pushed backwards into the pilots’ chair, holding on for dear life as you prayed the ship wouldn’t break apart.

You let out a yell as you continued to glide through space at light speed, until suddenly it stopped.

You breathed out shakily, your body unused to travelling like this after so long in one place as a teenager. You glanced back to the cockpit doors, wondering if the Mandalorian was actually alright. He must have been blasted back as the ship entered light speed.

Space looked the same wherever you went; dark skies, stars littering every corner. There was no telling where the hell you were, not without the knowledge of the navigation system on this godforsaken ship.

You were about to let out a sigh of relief, but that was cut short—

By the increasing shadow of a ship, cruising ahead of you. Big, white, triangular.

You _knew_ who that ship belonged to—

“The Empire...” You let out.

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

“Let me in _right now!”_ Mando resumed his yelling.

“There’s a fucking _Imperial_ ship, Mando!” You yelled back.

“Because you flew us into _Imperial Air Space!”_ He kept banging on the door, every time grating you down further and further. “If you want to live, let me in—we _need_ to get the fuck out of here—,”

“Just, _shut up!”_ You yelled back desperately, looking at the pilot console in a last-ditch attempt to figure out what to do. But the truth was—you had _no idea_ what the hell you were doing. You held your head in your hands, trying to stop your body from shaking uncontrollably.

“ _Look_ ,” Mando said from beyond the doors, still frantic, but not as harshly. “Let me get us out of this mess, and then I’ll help get _you_ out of your mess,” He spoke rapidly. “I won’t just take you back to Luke after this—we’re on the other side of space. Just... let me in, girl,”

“It’s Y/N,” You replied, swallowing down your nerves as the Star Destroyer got ever closer to your tiny ship.

“Y/N,” He repeated back.

You breathed in deeply, before finally opening the cockpit doors. Mando burst in, heading straight for the pilot chair. You got up immediately, circling round to sit on a passenger seat behind him.

You felt _awful_ , you felt like a child. But what other option did you have, other than to do exactly what you just did? You were utterly desperate. You watched guiltily as Mando pressed dozens of buttons and started the engines properly, all the while the Star Destroyer kept advancing.

“Buckle up,” He said bluntly. You did as you were told, for once.

Mando balled his fist and slammed it on the console, and all too soon you were back to flying at light speed. The ship rumbled and shook, threatening to break apart, but you knew it wouldn’t.

You clamped your eyes shut for the duration, until the ship stopped once more, spat out in a completely different part of Space. You opened them tentatively, too afraid to find Mando’s helmet already looking at you face to face, but he was still facing forward, piloting you both to safety.

“We’ll land on Sorgan,” He spoke calmly. “I know people there that’ll take us in for a night or two,”

“A night or two?” You repeated.

“The ship needs repairs. The compressor is shot after two consecutive light speed runs,” He replied bluntly.

You got up slowly, heading back through the cockpit doors and down to the bay, not saying a word. You felt insane without your lightsaber clipped to your belt, and you felt insane _anyway,_ high-jacking a ship, trying to fucking fly it, almost crashing into a fucking Star Destroyer, and now this—

This was what _fear_ did. It tore you apart.

You felt Mando from the level above—he was _seething_. You felt his anger, his annoyance, his pain, but there was something beneath the surface—

That desperation that you felt, it’s like he _understood_ it. As much as he would have preferred you didn’t steal his goddamn ship and break it, that moment of softness before you let him into the cockpit had been genuine.

He already wanted to know your story, and he was already willing to go to all this trouble to get you back without payment at the end; you didn’t know what the _hell_ his deal was. It confused you to your core, leaving you questioning everything surrounding Luke’s motives, or the reason for your much needed return to the temple.

Despite all of that—

You didn’t trust him.

_You didn’t trust him one bit._

You rummaged around the bay quietly as you felt the ship enter Sorgan’s atmosphere. You were looking for something—anything—that could be used as a weapon. You went to the walls, pressing random buttons to see if anything would happen. You pressed another, and a small hatch opened up, big enough for a person to climb into.

You realised this was where Mando slept. Torn blankets and a ratty pillow were laid inside, with a small hammock above the crawl space; maybe as a shelf?

You shuffled through his belongings, shoving your hand beneath his pillow—you gasped, revealing your saber slowly. You clipped it to your belt, before resealing the crawl space and finding a stable place to hide, somewhere you’d be able to strike him without him seeing it coming.

You felt the ship land soon after, spluttering as it hit the ground. The metallic clank of Mando’s boots made their way down the ladder from the cockpit, while you hid behind an adjacent wall, just waiting for him to turn his back.

He jumped the last two rungs, dropping to the bay and heading immediately for the hatch.

Before he could open the hatch, you _moved_ —you jumped him from behind, slotting your arms around his neck and placing the hilt of your saber in the space between his helmet and shoulder armour, where you knew your saber would be able to penetrate his skin.

Mando froze immediately. You could hear his breaths.

“Always ready for a fight,” He spoke quietly.

“Forgive me for not liking it when my property is taken away from me,” You said, in relation to your saber.

“Forgive me if I don’t appreciate a brat trying to pilot my ship,” He scowled.

“You’re making it _really_ hard to trust you, Mando,” You tightened your grip on his shoulders, putting your full bodyweight into it.

“You’re making it really hard to feel sorry for you,” He said, and all of a sudden, he’d flipped you up onto his back, then dropped you down to the floor— _hard._

You saw him coming down to plant an elbow where he _knew_ it would hurt, and your reflexes kicked in—

You engaged your saber, and for a brief moment, Beskar and Kyber Crystal struck one another, creating the most high-pitched, chalkboard scratch noise you’d ever heard, until you were both _thrown_ backwards.

Mando hit the hatch door hard, pressing down the button to open it up. Your body whacked against the back wall of the hull, your spine not particularly enjoying the sensation, but you got yourself up immediately. You jumped up, using the Force to push your forward, until you fully bombarded into the Mandalorian, pushing the both of you out of the hatch and landing with a thud on some browned grass.

You rolled on the grass for a moment, the momentum of the Force continuing to roll you both along, until you found a time to jump up and land on your feet. You skidded back, revealing damp, muddy earth beneath the brown grass of the forest covered planet.

Mando got himself up quickly, using his Beskar to shield himself from the inevitable hit of your blade.

“You have more mood swings that the fucking _kid_ did,” He let out, almost _amusingly._ “First you’re angry, then laughing, then _reminiscent,_ then borderline insane, and now _this—_ ,”

“And you _talk_ a lot for a Mandalorian,” You interrupted, twirling your saber quickly until you jumped forward fast, making contact with the Beskar on Mando’s forearms while he shielded his face.

He got in real close, bringing his helmet to the side of your face and using all of his strength to win this battle.

“We do have _mouths,_ you know,” He almost whispered. It just enraged you more; he was patronising you.

“Good to know,” You stuttered out, using all of your strength to push against his Beskar covered arms. “I’ll know when I finally shut you up,” You sliced your saber away from his arms, causing him to falter backwards. You took your chance—

You collapsed on top of him, bringing him to the ground swiftly and swinging your legs around to pin him to the floor, despite the battle to hold him down over his Beskar. You bent your knee, pushing it onto his sternum and pressing it down slowly, slowly, slowly, until you knew you were atop his windpipe.

A subtle crackle came from his modulator, proving that you had him where you wanted him to be. You got in close to his helmet, twirling your saber round until it shone next to his visor.

“Let me make this clear, Mando,” You spoke quietly, feeling him try to relax beneath your grip. “You’re not taking me back to Skywalker. And if you try to, I’ll know. Contact him and tell him I won’t be returning,”

Mando slowly brought a hand to your thigh, but it only made you press your knee into his throat harder. That’s when he started to _tap—_ he was actually tapping out.

You eased ever so slightly on his neck, still wary about him faking this behaviour.

“I—can’t contact him—,” He spluttered out. You furrowed your brows, immediately getting off of him. You stood over him, your legs parted on either side of his broad shoulders, lightsaber still ready in case this had all been an act.

“What do you mean you can’t contact him?” You demanded.

Mando allowed his lungs to fill with air once more, taking in a few wracking breaths before turning his attention back to you.

“No comms,” He managed. “He told me _you’d_ know how to send him a message,”

You stepped back then, almost tripping over your feet. You wanted to _scream._ Because of course Luke would do this—he _knew_ you wouldn’t want to return, he knew that the only way you’d be able to get out of this would be by telling him you were _fine—_

But that meant contacting him with your Force.

You hadn’t allowed your Force to feel his since you’d first left the temple.

Mando slowly got himself up, rubbing at his throat and stretching out his limbs. He looked at you through his visor, breathing heavily. “You’re good at that,” He let out bluntly. “Fighting,”

You didn’t reply, instead opting to start pacing the patch of grass around the Razor Crest.

“I’m twice your weight,” He continued, but it was as if he were talking to himself. “That doesn’t make sense,” He trailed off. You continued pacing, panicking about what the fuck you were supposed to do now. Facing Luke was not first on your list of things you particularly wanted to do, even if it meant ending this ridiculous kidnapping crusade.

You were torn from your thoughts by the loud alert of a horn being blown. Through the trees advanced a small hover-raft, holding up three men. Mando turned towards them eagerly, while you got into a defensive stance immediately.

He walked over to the men slowly, and they let him approach freely.

“Mando,” One of the men said happily, jumping off the raft and sticking out his hand. “We saw a ship land—Omera said it would be you,”

Mando shook his hand, and you wanted to bet he was smiling under his helmet. “Omera is smarter than she lets on,” He replied, the hint of a chuckle beneath the modulation.

A man piped up from the raft, pointing at you with a staff. “Who’s the girl?”

“A Jedi?” The man in front of Mando questioned, retracting his handshake.

“I need to speak with Omera,” Mando disregarded their questions.

“Of course, come aboard,”

Mando looked back at you, and for a moment you thought he was about to _leave you._ You had just tried to kill him—twice. You wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d just left you there, in the middle of the jungle, on a planet you’d never set foot on before.

But he _didn’t_ —

He tilted his helmet towards the raft, indicating that you were to come too. You approached the convoy, still wary and with your saber shining brightly. When you reached Mando’s side, you disengaged it, clipping the hilt onto your belt.

You climbed aboard the raft with Mando, sitting as far away from him and the others as possible. You felt in the way, somehow, like being here was a mistake—which, it _was,_ but mistakes happened all the time. You just couldn’t shake the anxiety in the pit of your stomach, but still, you pushed on.

You pushed on, hovering through the lush forests of Sorgan, headed straight into the unknown once again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like this chapter a lot. Hope you do too.
> 
> lightyaers x

You stayed a few paces behind the men and Mando, as you all dismounted the raft at the edge of a large and lush clearing.

It was odd, seeing the Mandalorian effectively _socialising_. Did these people not know he was a cut-throat bounty hunter? Did they not know he killed people without a second thought?

You swallowed, backtracking from your thoughts. All they must think of _you_ right now is that you’d tried to kill him yourself. You were being hypocritical.

When you entered the clearing, your mouth dropped open without warning— it was a krill farm, dotted with huts and surrounded by fields of green luscious grass, swaying in the pleasant wind. The krill ponds were full to bursting, with farmers releasing nets and capturing their quota without a problem.

The part that you felt the most was the circular layout of the entire village— you could imagine yourself flying above it, seeing the clock like way the ponds rounded a main farming building, with family huts dotted near the out skirts of the mowed clearing.

It was... “Beautiful,” You whispered out, not meaning to let the words leave your lips.

Mando kept treading forward, but you saw the subtle tilt of his helmet after you spoke. You stared at the back of his head, forcing your mouth shut and pretending as if you hadn’t said a word.

The five of you entered the main village, passing the krill farmers. A few stopped working, looking towards the Mandalorian with bright faces. You had to stop yourself from accidentally frowning. Why did these people love him so?

The men left for the main hut while Mando halted, his visor moving towards the face of a slender woman, walking towards him with a small, knowing smile. You stayed a few paces back, still not feeling completely comfortable.

“Mandalorian,” She spoke.

“Omera,” Mando replied. Your eyes flicked from Mando to Omera like a tennis match. It wasn’t difficult to see there was _unresolved tension_ between the two of them.

“You wish to stay?” Omera asked, almost reading his mind.

“The Crest needs repairs. Two days, tops,” He spoke quickly, almost like he was on edge of what her answer would be.

“You’re always free to stay with us, Mando. We can help with the repairs, too,” She reassured him, taking a subtle step closer to him. Her eyes flicked back to you, watching silently as their conversation unfolded. Omera sent an amused stare at Mando, before walking towards you. “Welcome,” She said, approaching you slowly.

This woman was _glorious._ The energy she possessed was nothing but warmth and light. You sensed there was something deeper beneath her surface, but it wasn’t enough to make you fear her. If anything, you _trusted_ this woman more than you trusted Mando, and you hadn’t even spoken a word to her yet.

“Thank you,” You let out quietly. She smiled at you softly, turning back to Mando.

“It’s the same hut as your previous venture here. I trust you don’t mind sharing?” Omera questioned, but you got the sense it was a question that didn’t require an answer. You almost let out a scoff. Mando simply nodded, walking towards said hut, without even looking back at you.

You followed him stubbornly, too self-conscious of the _good_ that these villagers held within them. It made you feel selfish, it made you feel guilty. You hadn’t exactly made Mando’s life _easier,_ had you?

For once, you found yourself thinking of Luke, back at the temple. You’d eventually have to reach out to his Force, that was inevitable, but you found yourself wondering what _good_ Luke must have felt in Mando to ask him such a favour: get you back, keep you safe— arguably one of the most stubborn, unreliable and lost people in the universe, yet he’d _agreed—_

_For nothing in return._

You followed Mando slowly, suddenly all too aware of _pissing him off._ It was a funny thought, compared to what you’d already done to cause him grief and annoyance. He entered the hut ahead of you. You let him settle first, leaning his staff against the wall and letting out a modulated sigh.

You stepped inside soon after, looking at the same interior of the hut and the minuscule décor within. There were two stacks of weaved blankets on the floor with the rest of the hut being occupied by storage boxes for the krill farm. It was sweet, simple, and it smelled like fresh tree bark. It was a smell that reminded you of back at the temple.

You approached one of the boxes, unclipping your saber from your belt and placing it down. Mando’s visor stared towards where you’d placed your weapon, but he didn’t say anything. The silence was almost unbearable, but you got the sense it was your turn to speak—

To clear the air, to, _maybe_ , apologise.

“What happened here?” You asked, genuinely curious. “It seems like they know you pretty well,”

Mando sat himself down on a storage box, looking out at the krill farm beyond. Omera stood with a child, brushing her fingers through her hair.

“I helped them fight off pirates, stealing their produce and effecting their livelihood,” He said plainly. “We brought down a walker, taught the adults to shoot. They seem to be thriving now,”

“A walker?” You questioned, stunned. “That was... _good_ of you,” You felt stupid as soon as you’d said it. You kept going back and forth between _good and bad_ when it came to this guy. The sheer contrast of a cut-throat bounty killer and a man who saved a village from poverty and starvation made you question everything.

Well, he _had_ knocked you out, handcuffed you to his ship and hidden your saber.

But then again—you’d almost killed him twice. The moral compass was pointing more in his direction currently, after discovering this truth.

“Sorry for jumping you,” You cut through the tension. “And for flying your ship into Imperial Air Space,” You added quickly. You scratched the back of your head for lack of what the hell to do. “It was... rash, and stupid,”

Mando turned his visor in your direction, but it only served to increase your discomfort. You wanted to know what his _face_ looked like under there—was he scowling, laughing, or just as blank as the expression his helmet portrayed?

“Rash and stupid are definitely words you could use,” He finally spoke. You allowed yourself to relax subtly, sitting down on a storage box of your own and letting a few rays of sunlight cascade over your face.

Sun glinted off of his chrome visor, reflecting across the weaved walls of the hut. He was as still as a statue, and you wondered if he was just naturally like that, or if the hunks of Beskar weighed him down until his limbs forgot how to twitch, how to sway.

“I didn’t _have_ to take this job—,”

“Then why did you?” You interrupted him, as the sudden urge to fully know his reasoning hit you once more.

Mando let out a modulated sigh. “Skywalker, he was... worried. Really worried,” Your heart panged as he spoke. If Luke was worried about you, then something _must_ be wrong. It’s not that he didn’t care; you knew he did, back at the temple. But the pressure—he was so _sure_ of you, when you have never been sure of yourself in your life.

It scared you.

“You know how to contact him,” Mando stated. It wasn’t a question. You didn’t reply. Mando finally moved, sitting up straighter. “Do it,” He urged. “You can’t run from him forever,”

You let out a scoff, looking up to the ceiling. He was right. And that’s what pissed you off the most. He was absolutely right. You nodded to yourself, shutting your eyes and breathing out slowly. You would contact Luke; just not today, not right now.

Rising from the box, you grabbed your saber and clipped it to your belt once more. Mando watched as you headed toward the entrance of the hut, stopping before you were out the door.

“I can help with the Crest repairs,” You offered. “I’m a better mechanic than I am a pilot,” You admitted.

“A Blurg would be better at piloting than you,” He let out. You turned to him with furrowed brows, your jaw dropped open ready to protest. You stopped yourself though, as his words actually sunk in. You found yourself _smiling_ at him. It was an exaggeration, sure, but perhaps also an attempt at something light-hearted, even if that word wasn’t in the Mando’a dictionary.

Instead, you simply shut your mouth, feeling content with the small feeling of amusement that spread throughout the hut at his comment. You turned then, leaving the hut and squinting into the late afternoon sun.

You wandered around the krill farmers for a while, soaking up the sun, the fresh air, and ridding yourself of the paranoia you’d felt for the past four months of planet jumping. It was peaceful here; the wind blowing had a purpose, instead of an uncomfortable feeling of being watched from the shadows.

You circled your way around the farm, spotting Omera near the main base of the village. You approached her silently, coming up to stand next to her.

“It’s beautiful here,” You told her. She turned to you, smiling.

“It’s a simple life, but a good one,” She agreed. You let a comfortable silence float between the two of you, as you watched the grass bask in the breeze and children run circles around farmers. “What about you?” She raised, turning back to you. You kept your eyes forward. “Where are you from?”

You let out a sigh. “Where I’m from is light years away from where I am now,” You stated. You thought of your mother, your father, their ship that you were raised on. It was a different life to what you knew now. Being at the temple had never felt like home, even if you’d wanted it to.

“Someday, you’ll settle. It’ll just happen, without you realising,” She continued. Her voice was smooth and warm, trickling over the grass and ponds and huts like she was all-knowing. “Getting lost is part of learning,”

You turned to her, flicking your eyes over her long, brown hair, her sharp jaw, her soft and welcoming face. Even Mando changed the way he spoke when he was around her. Omera had a powerful aura, a feeling of connection to the earth beneath her feet, the sky above her head; you wondered what it was like to be so sure of things.

“You ended up with _him_ , though,” She began again. “The Mandalorian. I’m guessing you’re not a bounty, just from the way he treats you so kindly,”

You scoffed at that. _Kindly_ is not the word you would have used. Nevertheless, you soaked up her words. Maybe she had a point.

“I don’t really know what I am,” You admitted. You were surprised how it flowed from your lips, something so vulnerable and personal to a woman you’d just met. She looked you up and down, casting her glow all over you.

“I know that’s not a simple weapon that you carry,” Omera spoke. “It’s a lightsaber, is it not?”

You nodded at her slowly, instinctively going to grip the hilt clipped to your belt.

“Then, a Jedi, perhaps?” She questioned. You immediately shook your head. Your heart felt a certain pain as you did so, denying it yet again.

“I’m not a Jedi,” You cemented it further. Omera was the next to scoff, but hers somehow sounded more soft, more refined, than your own.

“They’re all but mythology now. Legends in the wind. But you’re the closest replica to an ancient Jedi that I have ever seen,” She explained. “And travelling with _him_ ,” She continued, looking forward at the horizon, almost longingly. “You must see so much of the universe. Every corner and crevice, while he probably thinks nothing of his surroundings over the red glowing puck in his hands,”

You didn’t have the heart to cut her off, to tell her that your time with Mando had been short, and probably wouldn’t continue for much longer after your stay here. Instead, you opted to look at the horizon with her. You heard the birdsong over-head, you felt the sun rays as they beamed onto the ground below your feet.

“Is there somewhere I can...” You began, unclipping your saber from your belt. Omera stared at the weapon in your hands, but not remorsefully. When she looked back up at you, you would have felt comfortable blurting _anything_ out—your darkest secrets, your full backstory. “Practice,” You finally ended. “It grounds me. Helps... calm me down,” You’d already added more than you’d needed to.

“There is space aplenty. Pick a spot, it’s no bother,” She reassured.

You sent her a nod, before finding a secluded spot in the surrounding fields of the village. You made sure there were no children around, so no one could accidentally get hurt from your blade. You planted your feet between the long blades of grass, allowing yourself to feel everything that the Force had to offer.

You grabbed your saber, holding it strongly in your hands, before engaging it slowly—

Then you were off. You twirled it with ease between your palms, slicing at the grass with an odd sense of guilt, as the blades began to flutter in the air around you as you swivelled on your feet effortlessly.

Even in this light, your saber shone through; a neon purple, mingling with the greens and blues and browns of the village. The _swoosh_ cut through the air with a sense of urgency, while also flowing so beautifully and controlled around your body that you simply had to shut your eyes.

Shutting your eyes allowed you to really _feel_ things—the ground, the sky, the roots from the trees and the feelings of the individuals around you. But still, you didn’t cross that line towards Luke, towards the temple. You kept your Force shut off from him once more, like you’d trained yourself to do after fleeing.

You continued to expel _everything_ , in your own way. It was one of the only things that kept you sane, you thought.

Back by the main village, Mando approached Omera, watching as you practiced effortlessly. He stood next to her, as tension fluttered over both of them. He was reminded of their last meeting, the time he left, the time she’d tried to look at the eyes beneath his mask.

“She’s a spectacle,” Omera spoke. Mando flicked his eyes over to you, practicing on your lonesome, feeling an odd sense of peace from the movements you performed. “Where did you find her?”

“Somewhere she wasn’t meant to be,” Mando replied, almost sadly. Almost.

“You’ve done her a service then,”

“She wouldn’t call it that,” He said bluntly. Omera only smiled at his words.

“She’ll realise it soon, when her anger dispels,” Mando turned his visor towards her questioningly.

“Anger?” Mando repeated.

“What, you can’t see it all over her face?” Omera chuckled out. “I don’t begin to know what’s inside her head, but she’s seething. Can’t you feel it?” Mando looked back toward you, still fluidly twirling your saber, seemingly without a care.

“She—well, she _told_ me—,”

“A spoken word rarely shows the truth, Mando. An expression, an action, that’s when you can see what’s truly brewing beneath the surface of someone’s skin,” Omera interrupted. “You should know that well, as a man of little words and even less expression,”

Mando looked back to you once more, as you stopped twirling your saber abruptly. A child rocketed towards you, with large brown eyes and flowing dark hair. He watched as you approached her slowly, squatting down to her level and disengaging your saber.

Omera and the Mandalorian watched as a small crowd of children began to gather around you, asking questions about your saber while you gently showed them the hilt of the weapon.

“Why is it purple?” The girl, Winta, asked. Omera’s daughter. You smiled at her, shrugging your shoulders honestly.

“I don’t know. There’s never been word of purple lightsabers before,” You replied.

“Is it yours?” She asked innocently. Children had no trouble asking questions.

“I found it,” You said, rolling the hilt in your palm confidently.

“Finders, keepers,” Winta said strongly. “It definitely belongs to you, now,” She gave you a toothy smile which you couldn’t help but reciprocate. Winta turned her chin over to her mother, watching from beyond the krill ponds.

You followed her stare, not expecting to hit that of the chrome visor of Mando. You stared, unmoving, into the black abyss of his helmet, wondering for a second if you were even looking into his eyes.

You were the first to look away, prompted by Winta’s quick turn into a sprint around the krill ponds once more. You watched her run away, joining hands with two youngsters and giggling with glee. It made you smile; you hadn’t seen happy children in a long time.

You strolled back to the spot you’d slowly decimated with your saber, overseeing the singed grass and the footprints your boots had imprinted in the ground.

You whispered a silent prayer to the earth, apologising for the damage you’d made, before engaging your saber once again—

All the while, feeling Mando’s stare on the back of your neck as you practiced in the dwindling sunset of Sorgan.


End file.
